My friend & one of my favorite quilting collaborators, Teresa Silva of Quilting is My Bliss, has written a new book that's available now, Longarm Quilting Workbook.

Images courtesy of F+W Media.

I was so excited for Teresa to write her new book that I wrote the foreward for it!

This book features some excellent quilt photography that shows off how the quilting works with the fabric & the block designs to bring the finished quilt together. It is also spiral bound with a lay-flat design, which I love for quilt-related workbooks!

The book features an excellent quilt gallery. Teresa included a lot of my designs. She quilted all of them and they were pieced by either me, Teresa or Leslie Meltzer of 50 Sq Ft Studio.

I took some process photos to share with you when I made the quilt last summer.

Picking the Kona colors for the quilt.

Then it was time to select thread. My general rule of thumb is to always sew with a medium gray thread. That being said, if I am sewing large areas with similar colors, I will change my thread when piecing to reflect those colors.

For this quilt I pieced the blocks with 6 different threads to best match to the six color families. I used the same thread to sew the color family rows together. Then I sewed the sections together with a medium gray thread.

First 3 rows are complete. I also made a mini 1/4 scale quilt at the same time.

4th row added...

5th row added...

These are the 6 Aurifil 50wt threads that I used for piecing, from top to bottom:
5001
1231
4182
2520
5003
2530

I'm so excited to share my latest book with you! I'm pleased to introduce Alphabet Soup!!

Here is the back cover of the book!

If you're wondering what the text at the top of the back cover says, it reads:

Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts introduces Alphabet Soup. Build your own personalized projects with letters and numbers cut with Hex N More & Super Sidekick rulers, all with no Y seams! This book includes full color directions for all letters of the alphabet, numbers 0 to 9, coloring pages, full size templates, and eight projects that you can make with the personalized blocks of your choice. Projects include:Letter & Number Tiles for Banners + Frames, Monogram Pillow, Table Runner, Signs, Baby Quilt, & Tote Bag. The possibilities of what you can make with Alphabet Soup are endless!

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Here are 3 table runners. You can make personalized Table Runners with any words, even names.

Behind the scenes of getting that photo as captured by my husband.

Numbers are also included in Alphabet Soup! Here's a wall sign hanging on Ackfeld Wire that features our wedding date.

The book includes 20+ word options to make your own personalized baby quilt. This was quilted by Teresa Silva of Quilting is My Bliss.

A tote bag! I recommend making this using Lazy Girl Designs Dreamy Fusible Fleece & Face It Soft fusible interfacing.

Photographing babies was a new adventure for me.

Most of the time he just wanted to show me the back of the number 8.

Dane spent more time looking at his mom than he did looking at the camera, as babies tend to do.

Here is Dane with all the pillows and the banner above him. He really is always a happy baby whenever I see him!

My brother Brad snapped these "first day of school" photos of Aliyah and Elijah.